The City of Cape Coral has invited officials from the Army Corps to discuss Lake O releases. This informational meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, July 31st at 12:30 p.m. at the Cape Coral Yacht Club Ballroom (5819 Driftwood Pkwy). We need as many members as possible to attend and express concerns regarding the impact these releases are having on our area. As you know, these releases are affecting our environment, economy and home values to name a few.

I attended the Board Meeting for the Palm Beach County CILB to the citizens of Palm Beach County. With the FMCA’s input and support, Palm Beach County will start the process of requiring USL&H as well as tightening up experience requirements for Palm Beach County Marine Contractors Licensing. It was a pleasure working with the Board and am happy to report we have one more county protecting its citizens to the best of it’s abilities.
Kelly White, Executive Director

I am the Executive Director of the non-profit, Florida Marine Contractors Association. I learned today of changes to the SPGP program that involve single family docks that are located outside residential canals. As I understand it, proposed single family docks that are outside of residential canals will now be “red lighted”, beginning this Saturday, June 30, 2018. This will cause significant delays in the processing of single family docks and could have economic consequences for marine contractors around the state of Florida. There are already serious delays obtaining ACOE permits in varying situations and this may very well bottleneck even more permits.

I am asking to delay the implementation of these changes and request that a workshop(s) be organized to review the changes that you are proposing. Our Association and its members have worked with FL DEP, NOAA/NMF and ACOE with past State Wide Programmatics and have been included in discussions that could/would have such a dramatic effect on our industry. We were very successful with providing needed data and information that helped facilitate various state wide issues. We understand there is a need to protect the environment, however we want to be sure it is based on sound science.

Please let me know if/when we can arrange a meeting/workshop/conference call to discuss the outlined changes, impacts and what additional information may be needed by NOAA/ACOE to help reduce the impact of the changes.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday 6/4 and will become effective immediately. We need to fight several things:
They are proposing to treat artificial waterways the same as natural water ways and limit slips to 2, finger piers to 3’, platforms to 160 sq ft, etc.
They want to limit docks to 200’ regardless of proximity to sea grass, channels, etc.
They don’t want to allow for any repairs to boathouses that are existing and over 500 sq ft.
We will also attend on the 4th and voice our opposition. Who else can attend and comment on the 4th?
Kelly White
Executive Director